Toxoplasma gondii, which belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa, is an absolute intercellular parasite that infects a wide range of hosts, including warm-blooded animals and humans. An infection with this parasite causes toxoplasmosis, which in most cases remains latent. However, this disease is a major threat to immunocompromised people and pregnant women. In extreme cases, it can damage nervous system or case fatal abortion. Infected breeding animals may contain cells of the parasite in all tissue, that is why it is important to analyses meat of these animals. The consumption of raw or undercooked meat, in particular of pigs and sheep, is regarded as a major route of transmission to humans. However, recent studies showed that the prevalence of T. gondii in meat-producing animals decreased considerably over the past 20 years in areas with intensive farm management. The detection of the parasite in uncooked meat andcommercial meat products and the high ratio of seropositive slaughtered animals, emphasis that the risk still exists for food-born toxoplasmosis. Limiting the sale of such meat of infectedanimals may contribute to a decline in the proportion of patients with toxoplasmosis. Detection of T. gondii in meat is made by biologic, serologic, histologic, or molecular methods, or by some combination of the above. This article presents the techniques available for the detection of the parasite T. gondii in meat.
Authors
Additional information
- Category
- Publikacja monograficzna
- Type
- rozdział, artykuł w książce - dziele zbiorowym /podręczniku w języku o zasięgu międzynarodowym
- Language
- angielski
- Publication year
- 2012
